What to do When Your Child Gets Kicked Out of Rehab

Getting your child into rehab is hard enough. To deal with them getting kicked out of rehab after you finally get them in can be devastating and especially frustrating, as well as scary. You may want to save them because you are afraid they are going to die, or you may want to just give up on them. Neither of these things are what you want to do when your child gets kicked out of rehab. If your child gets kicked out of rehab stay calm and realize there are some things you can do to keep them on the right track.

Here is what to do when your child gets kicked out of rehab:

DO NOT under any circumstances give them the option to come home: Your child got kicked out of rehab because their disease has such a strong hold on them that they couldn’t even cooperate for the 30, 60,90 days of treatment. Don’t worry though it isn’t because your child is a bad child, your child is an addict, and it is the disease that causes this. Not saying that your child is off the hook because they can control their actions or learn to, but whatever they did is common in addicts who are in rehab. So instead of letting your child come home and just fall back into a routine and continue using again if they kicked out of rehab, give them the option of attending a different rehab or staying on the streets. As hard as this is you don’t want to be the one who said it was ok for this happen by allowing them to essentially get what they most likely wanted: to come home.

Have them involuntarily committed with the Marchman or Baker Act: If you think your child gets kicked out of rehab and  is a danger to themselves or others, then start moving through the process of having them involuntarily committed with the laws that are in place in your state to help you keep your child safe from themselves. Many times when an addict such as your child relapses things can get really ugly pretty quick, so don’t be afraid to force your child to go to rehab with the Marchman or Baker Act.

Let them suffer the consequences: In some cases it may be best to detach from your child, as hard as this is. Let them suffer the consequences of their own actions. Some addicts won’t learn anything at all until they have to suffer the consequences of their own decisions. If every time before now you have come to the rescue, don’t. This is going to be scary and extremely difficult but it could be the difference maker in your child asking for real help the next time. Don’t worry about your child ending up using, because whether or not they are at your house or on the streets after they get kicked out of rehab, it most likely is going to happen. Just don’t be there to soften the blow and make it so there are NO consequences of getting kicked out of rehab, especially if you aren’t going to involuntarily commit them, and they won’t go to another rehab.

Each individual circumstance of a child getting kicked out of rehab is unique. Do what you feel is right just make sure you are doing what is right for your well-being as well as your child’s well-being (IN THE LONG RUN). Bringing  your child home or saving them after they get kicked out of rehab may seem like the solution right now in this moment but in the long run you are going to end up either having to send them to rehab again anyways, kicking them out onto the streets from your own home or having them involuntarily committed. Realize that addiction is a disease and sometimes it can take many attempts for an addict to finally get sober. Don’t give up hope!

If you or someone you love has been kicked out of rehab, give us a call at 800-951-6135.